SHARES
Haven’t we all met parents complaining that their child is hyper active, always jumping around the house? At times, we even witness those overactive kids ourselves, are they really having attention deficit? Should we term it as a hyperactivity disorder? Read on to find out about ADHD in children…
What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequently encountered childhood disorder that is said to possibly continue through adolescence and adulthood.
Inattention, impulsiveness, hyperactivity are the key symptoms of ADHD. It is normal for all children to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive sometimes, but for children with ADHD, these behaviours are more severe and occur more often. To be diagnosed with the disorder, a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.
Some of the significant symptoms of ADHD include:
- Difficulty in staying focused and paying attention
- Difficulty in controlling their behaviour
- Hyperactivity (over-active nature).
What causes ADHD?
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, research studies are going on though. It is said that you can be potentially at increased risk of ADHD if:
- There are relatives (such as a parent or sibling) with ADHD or another mental health disorder
- The mother smoked, consumed alcohol or used drugs during pregnancy
- The mother was exposed to environmental poisons — such as poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — during pregnancy
- As a child, you were exposed to environmental toxins — such as lead, found mainly in paint and pipes in older buildings
What are the Signs & Symptoms of ADHD?
An individual with ADHD may have some or all of the below symptoms:
- Easily distracted, forget/miss details, be forgetful of things and frequently shift from one activity to another
- Find it difficult to maintain focus on a single task
- Difficulty in concentrating, organizing and completing a task
- Difficulty to learn something new
- Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something that they like
- Difficulty in completing homework assignments, often misplacing/losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete the task or activity
- Daydream, get confused easily
- Not seem to listen when spoken to
- Struggle to follow instructions
- Difficulty in handling information as accurately and quickly as others
Some other symptoms include:
- Talk nonstop
- Jump/run around, meddle or play with anything and everything in their sight
- Difficulty in sitting still/in one place at school, during dinner, while doing homework
- Always be in motion
- Difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities
So is it really ADHD or something else??
Many a time, it has been found that ADHD is confused for some other disorder. It is easy to miss the small points that children who have inattention problems may not actually have ADHD because the child might be quiet or stay in one place. Symptoms seem to overlap with certain other conditions.
How can ADHD be diagnosed?
Each child take its own time to mature, they will have different temperaments, personalities and also different energy levels. Many children can get distracted easily; they can act impulsively, and also find it difficult to concentrate at one point of time or another. Sometimes, these normal factors may be mistaken for ADHD.
ADHD symptoms usually come to the fore early in life, often between the ages of 3 and 6, and because these symptoms can vary from one child to another, the disorder can be hard to diagnose. Parents might at first notice that their child is losing interest in things much quicker than other children, or that the child seems constantly running around. Also, teachers notice these symptoms first, when a child finds it difficult to follow rules, in the classroom or on the playground.
There is no single test that can help diagnose a child as having ADHD. However, a licensed health professional can gather information about the child, and his/her behaviour and environment. It is advised that the family must first talk with the child’s paediatrician.
What else can be affecting a child with ADHD?
Some children with ADHD also have other illnesses or conditions. For example, they may have one or more of the following:
- A learning disability – A school-aged child might have problems with reading, writing, spelling, and maths.
- Oppositional defiant disorder – The child is seen to be overly rebellious and stubborn. They often argue with adults and refuse to obey rules.
- Conduct disorder – In this case, the child may be seen to tell lies, fight, steal, bully others. The child may destroy property, or carry or use weapons, in extreme cases. These children or teens are also at a higher risk of using drugs/illegal substances.
- Anxiety and depression – Treating ADHD may help to decrease anxiety or some forms of depression.
- Bipolar disorder – Some children with ADHD may also have this condition in which extreme mood swings go from mania to a depression in a very short span of time.
- ADHD may also coexist with sleep disorder, substance abuse, bed-wetting, or other disorders or illnesses.
Recognizing ADHD symptoms and early intervention will lead to better outcome for both affected children and their families.
How, as a parent, can you help a child live with ADHD?
You can follow some of these pointers/tips to help children stay organised
- Schedule – Maintain a routine every day, right from waking up to bedtime. Spread out time for homework, outdoor play, and indoor activities. Put up the schedule on the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in the kitchen. Try to write or update the change in schedule as far in advance as possible.
- Organize everyday items – Each item at home must have a place of its own and ensure that everything is kept in its place – clothing, books, toys.
- Use homework and notebook organizers – Using organizers for school material and supplies and stressing its importance to your child will help them learn to be more organised.
- Be clear and consistent – Children with ADHD need steady rules that they can understand and follow.
- Praise and reward when rules are followed – Children with ADHD often receive and expect criticism. Praise and reward when they follow the rules, listen to what they are being told to etc.
Some children with ADHD continue to have it as adults. And many adults who have the disorder don’t know it. We will try to cover this topic as well in the upcoming posts.
Sources:
by Hridya
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya.
